Complicated
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Troy gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and things change drastically. Gabriella watches on. OneShot. SongFic.


_Hey! Made all the changes like some people have kindly told me. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own characters or the song._

_Enjoy the fixed chappie:_

A curl of smoke escaped the lips of Troy Bolton. Gabriella Montez screwed her nose up as she neared him and his three friends, all leaning against the wall, a basketball underneath one of Troy's feet, and cigarettes in all their hands.

_Uh huh, life's like this  
Uh huh, uh huh  
That's the way it is _

Cuz life's like this  
Uh huh, uh huh  
That's the way it is

Gabriella felt a sigh escape her own lips as she watched Troy raise the cigarette to his lips and take another breath. Troy saw her, and gave her an uneasy smile.

She knew that he knew what he was doing was wrong. She would tell by his guilty expression as he tried to ignore Gabriella's eyes on him.

_Chill out  
Whatcha yelling for?  
Lay back  
It's all been done before  
And if you could only let it be you would see_

He was turning into one of them. Gabriella didn't want to, put in her mind, she could see Troy becoming one of the smokers of the school. Lately, his face had become pale, his cheeks were sunken, and his eyes had become dark-ringed.

Gabriella remembered this morning, when Troy had given her a ride to school. He had laughed with her about Gabriella's science teacher, nicknamed "The Brain".

_I like you the way you are  
When we're driving in your car  
And you're talking to me one-on-one  
But you've become _

Somebody else, round everyone else  
You're watching your back, like you can't relax  
You're trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me  
Tell me

But now he was with "his friends". A cigarette caught between his fingers, a pinched look on his face, and the smell of smoke entwined in his white and red Wild-Cats basketball outfit.

Gabriella strode over purposefully, brushing her long chocolate hair over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes angrily. As she neared the group, the leader, Dominic Boston—a complete jerk, according to Gabriella—gave a shaky wolf whistle and slapped Troy on the arm.

"Little Einsteinnette looks angry," he told him with a laugh. Gabriella's face went pink, but her eyes were fixed on Troy and his nervous expression.

_Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're acting like somebody else,  
Gets me frustrated, life's like this you  
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get  
And you turn it into  
Honestly you promised me  
I'm never gonna find you fake it  
No no no_

"Don't be a jerk, Troy!" Gabriella tore the cigarette away from his hand and dropped it on the ground. "Your mum—and dad—are gonna murder you!" She hissed as she ground her heel into the cigarette butt into the tar-seal.

"Ohhh!" The boys all mocked. "Mummy's boy, huh?" Troy went red with embarrassment and turned angrily on Gabriella. His eyes were like spikes of fiery metal.

"Leave me alone, why don't ya?" Troy growled. Gabriella eyes widened as he turned his back on her.

_You come over unannounced  
Dressed up like you're someone else  
Where you are & where it's at you see  
You're making me, laugh out  
When you strike a pose, take off  
All your preppy clothes  
You know you're not fooling anyone  
When you become_

If this was any other person, Gabriella would have laughed at the difference which was taking place.

Old, innocent, lovable basketball boy Troy was gone. He had been replaced by an idiot with a cigarette perched between his lips and always making oh-so-witty comments, which were so funny; people's faces remained as expressionless as stone.

But she wasn't happy with this transformation. It wasn't anything to laugh about. She knew that deep down inside—Troy Bolton, her idol, her best-friend—was still there, somewhere.

Why'd he do this?

_Somebody else, round everyone else  
Watching your back, like you can't relax  
You're trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me  
Tell me_

Gabriella didn't think he was as cool as he thought—or was trying—to be. She though he looked like an idiot, a wannabe and complete and utter fool.

She felt the heaviness from where he had pushed her as if it was a bruise. Troy's friends laughed and Gabriella turned away in humiliation.

How dare he?

Troy watched as Gabriella strode off, her confidence torn down. He then looked away, trying to hide his shame from his friends, and got another cigarette from the pack and lit if with a lighter.

_Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else  
Gets me frustrated, life's like this you  
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get  
And you turn it into  
Honestly you promised me  
I'm never gonna find you fake it_

Troy returned home late that night. Jack and Kay Bolton were waiting in the lounge, their arms crossed and their faces set angry. Troy spluttered as he tried to make up an excuse for being so late.

Gabriella was staying the night since her mum was out of town for the next few nights. He looked up and gazed at her with pleading eyes—wishing for her to get him out some how.

_No no no (no no no)  
No no no (no no no)_

Gabriella glanced down at Troy and inhaled sharply.

He her best friend. He was in trouble, and willing for her to get him out. He was relying on their friendship. Only he and her and his friends knew what he had been out late doing.

Gabriella blinked sadly and strode from the balcony railing. Below, Troy looked away and glared down at the ground as his parents issued his punishment.

_Chill out  
Whatcha yelling for?  
Lay back it's all been done before  
And if you could only let it be, you would see _

Somebody else, round everyone else  
You're watching your back, like you can't relax  
You're trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me  
Tell me!

Gabriella woke up early and walked to Troy's room. A slit of light was escaping below his door. She walked in anxiously. He was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Troy glanced at her as she strode into the room.

Why did he do it? Only Troy could answer them. Gabriella didn't expect he would answer. But it was worth a try and so she took in a breath and asked.

"Why?"

_Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else  
Gets me frustrated, life's like this you  
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get  
And you turn into  
Honestly you promised me  
I'm never gonna find you fake it  
No no no_

His explanation was stupid and stumbling. Gabriella felt exasperated with him, and she felt like smacking him over the head.

Troy looked young and vulnerable as he asked Gabriella something she wasn't sure she could give. The smell of smoke still lingered in his unwashed hair and fingers.

"Forgive me?"

_Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else  
Gets me frustrated, life's like this you  
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get  
And you turn into  
Honestly you promised me  
I'm never gonna find you fake it  
No no no_

Gabriella blinked several time and shrugged. He began to ask again, but she cut him off with the wave of her hand. And then she walked back out of his room.

_Please review!_


End file.
